The University of Kansas Health System is treating 75 total COVID patients today, down from 87 Friday. Other significant numbers:
- 816 total COVID deaths during the pandemic, including one yesterday
- 11 deaths so far in March
- 55 deaths in February
- 46 deaths in January
- 13 with the active virus today, 18 Friday
- 1 in ICU, 1 Friday
- 0 on ventilators, 0 Friday
Key points from today’s guests:
Dr. Karin Porter-Williamson, division director of Palliative Care, The University of Kansas Health System
- There is a difference between palliative care and hospice care
- Palliative care is team based and focuses on helping patients and families with the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of serious illness.
- Hospice care focuses on comfort measures for those with no good treatment options
- Emotions have evolved during the pandemic. Thought things were better last year but new surge with record numbers of patients was demoralizing
Marilyn Parker, clinical nurse specialist, Palliative Medicine
- Palliative Care team works with other teams caring physically for a patient to come up with best plan of care to help patient meet goals
- Had to learn how to manage a patient’s passing without family members physically present because of COVID
- Pandemic has been tough mentally on the care team. Found ways of easing stress like breathing exercises and bringing a fresh flower for desk daily
- Hopes medical providers learn a lot from the pandemic to help future generations of providers
Kate Shoemaker, social worker, Palliative Medicine
- Helps patients navigate healthcare system with insurance, transportation, affording medicine and helps with grief and bereavement
- Had to be creative with technology during the pandemic to link patients with families who couldn’t be at the bedside
- Wonders about the long term mental health effects of COVID on everyone in the medical field
- Whole team has gone above and beyond to care for the community during the pandemic
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director, Infection Prevention and Control
- Of all COVID deaths in health system since the beginning of the year, only four were fully vaccinated, and all had other significant medical problems
- Hospitalizations and deaths are down as we head into spring. But virus is still circulating in the community
- If you’ve had the J&J vaccine, the current recommendation is getting a booster with one of the mRNA vaccines.
Tuesday, March 22 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. We’ll take you live behind the scenes to our operating rooms to find out what it takes to be a nurse at the health system. We’ll look at what’s driving the demand and talk about opportunities in nursing.
ATTENTION: media procedure for joining:
Zoom link: https://kumc-ois.zoom.us/j/7828978628
Telephone Zoom link: 1-312-626-6799, meeting ID: 782 897 8628
TVU Grid link: UoK_Health_SDI
Restream links: Facebook.com/kuhospital
YouTube.com/kuhospital
Send advance questions to medicalnewsnetwork@kumc.edu.
